Listen to the candidates

With the city at a crossroads in determining its future, this year's race for mayor and city council have become vitally important.

This Saturday, during the Fall Harvest Festival, there will be a "soap box" face-off for candidates, allowing them to present their positions on issues and their vision for the future of the town.

We strongly urge area residents to take some time from enjoying the "fun" parts of the festival, and listen to the two forums (the council candidate forum is 11-11:30 a.m., and the mayoral forum is 12:30-12:45 p.m.) All of the candidates will be available afterwards to discuss matters with the public.

It's one of the wonderful things about local politics. You can actually buttonhole a candidate, hear their views, and offer your opinions to them directly.

With the election only a month away, it's time to prepare yourself so you make an informed choice at the ballot box.

I'm looking forward to the forums Saturday. Who will be the moderator?

-- Posted by senior lady on Wed, Oct 3, 2007, at 10:01 AM

Toni Noland wll be. She is the Merchant's Coommittee Chairperson.

-- Posted by coleenswenson on Wed, Oct 3, 2007, at 12:07 PM

An informed choice at the ballot box, my former managing editor, would be not to cast a vote at all.

Then maybe they'll listen.

-- Posted by mrfresh28 on Wed, Oct 3, 2007, at 6:29 PM

I agree with bazookaman. I always say, "If you don't vote, you don't have the right to criticize later."

Heard the local candidates Saturday, in the cold wind, and was very impressed with all four candidates for city council. I had hoped I could clarify my thinking by attending, but I'm still at a loss for whom to elect -- they all seem so right. Downtown? Base? Growth? All are important issues.

The overall tone of Saturday's forum was very positive. These are men who obviously respect each other and could work together. That means a lot to me.

My choice for mayor is a little clearer than it even was previously, so Saturday helped there.

I think there will be another forum at the senior center toward the end of the month sometime; 28th maybe? I was wondering if they'll be able to answer questions from the audience there.

There has been a little talk about the City Council canididates on the Mtn Home News blogs but I'm afraid

that there has not been enough talk about the Mayor Candidates. I think Prouty and Anderson would be a fresh breath of air to the council. There has not been any fresh air for many years now. You can blame anything you want on the Mayor but he doesn't even have a vote unless to break a tie vote of the City Council. He has had a real handicap working with the self-serving council that he had. Now - remember - one of those self serving council persons is running for Mayor.

That council person spent 2.6 million dollars of the City taxpayers money to get Marathon Cheese and to get his wife the best job out there. We should all feel warm and fuzzy because she doesn't have to drive to Boise anymore. The urban renewal money that was used for Marathon Cheese that was build on a "deteriorating piece of property" should have been used to fix up our deplorable main street. There are a lot of similar issues that have gone on and I'm sure you all know of some of them.

-- Posted by yniashi on Sat, Oct 20, 2007, at 11:53 PM

Politics in Mountain Home are more corrupt than in Washington, D.C.

And that's saying quite a lot.

How is the Urban Renewal District coming by the way? I remember some good ideas when I was covering it, but never heard how it all panned out.

-- Posted by mrfresh28 on Mon, Oct 22, 2007, at 3:47 PM

Speaking of "self serving" let's think about the council person that is against LED signing or other signs that is satisfied with butcher paper and marking pencil advertising in the window. This council person is not running for office this time but - where were the other council persons. Could they not see the merit in some signing on the businesses?

-- Posted by yniashi on Tue, Oct 23, 2007, at 11:18 AM

Well Observer, all one has to do is attend a city council meeting and see for themselves. When I was there, they argued and bickered about what was going to be on the agenda and who had the power to regulate it for god's sake.

I'm not really interested in the election myself but I would tell prospective voters to do their research before making a decision.

-- Posted by mrfresh28 on Wed, Oct 24, 2007, at 9:29 AM

Haha, that's for you to figure out for yourself. Like I said, I am not a voter anymore so I really don't care one way or the other.

But if I were you, I would start with the mayor's office hours and work my way from there.

-- Posted by mrfresh28 on Wed, Oct 24, 2007, at 4:36 PM

Calm down before you have a heart attack, Observer.

First of all, I don't really care about politics in Mountain Home, I just like to put in my two cents since I was once on the "in" with the happenings at city hall.

Second, I don't have written proof of anything. Just what I saw with my own two eyes.

-- Posted by mrfresh28 on Wed, Oct 24, 2007, at 5:31 PM

OK-I'll point you towards city hall. Talk to department heads...Phil, Ron, Luise, etc.

Good luck.

-- Posted by mrfresh28 on Thu, Oct 25, 2007, at 12:55 PM

mrfresh28 -

I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out a connection between the three person's you named.

-- Posted by yniashi on Sun, Oct 28, 2007, at 6:19 PM

Well, they're all department heads. Or at least they were when I was there. They were also the people who I sat by at city council meetings.

I was just saying they might have some insight/perspective on the mess at city hall. That's all.

-- Posted by mrfresh28 on Mon, Oct 29, 2007, at 10:51 AM

Although election is over I still want to say this.The clash between the incumbent Mayor and the city council is a good thing.That means there were so much check and balances and they were able to present the pros and cons to their agenda. Now that the incoming officials are all in the same side will there be proper Check and Balances? That remains to be seen.